254 research outputs found
Gravitational string-membrane hedgehog and internal structure of black holes
We investigate charged Nambu-Goto strings/membrane systems in the
Einstein-Maxwell theory in 3+1 dimensions. We first construct a charged string
hedgehog solution that has a single horizon and conical singularity. Then we
examine a charged membrane system, and give a simple derivation of its self
energy. We find that the membrane may form an extremal Reissner-Nordstrom black
hole, but its interior is a flat spacetime. Finally by combining the charged
strings and the membrane we construct black hole solutions that have no
singularities inside the horizons. We study them in detail by varying the
magnitude of the two parameters, namely, the charge times the membrane tension
and the string tension. We also argue that the strings have, due to the large
redshift inside the system, a fair amount of degrees of freedom that may
explain the entropy of the corresponding black holes.Comment: 22 pages, 13 figures, minor revisions, version published in PT
Magnetic properties of epitaxial FeO films with various crystal orientations and TMR effect in room temperature
FeO is a ferrimagnetic spinel ferrite that exhibits electric
conductivity at room temperature (RT). Although the material has been predicted
to be a half metal according to ab-initio calculations, magnetic tunnel
junctions (MTJs) with FeO electrodes have demonstrated a small tunnel
magnetoresistance effect. Not even the sign of the TMR ratio has been
experimentally established. Here, we report on the magnetic properties of
epitaxial FeO films with various crystal orientations. The films
exhibited apparent crystal orientation dependence on hysteresis curves. In
particular, FeO(110) films exhibited in-plane uniaxial magnetic
anisotropy. With respect to the squareness of hysteresis, FeO (111)
demonstrated the largest squareness. Furthermore, we fabricated MTJs with
FeO(110) electrodes, and obtained an TMR effect of -12\% at RT. The
negative TMR ratio corresponded to the negative spin polarization of
FeO predicted from band calculations
<Abstract of published report>Highly Stereoselective Synthesis and Structural Confirmation of a Fungal Metabolite, LL-P880β.
Fermented persimmon extract (kaki-shibu) is useful as a standard for component analyses of persimmon phytobezoars
The definite diagnosis of persimmon phytobezoar (i.e., diospyrobezoar) is often accomplished by a component analysis using infrared spectroscopy. However, no studies have been conducted to investigate which substance is the best as a standard for the component analysis. Here we analyzed tannic acid, Japanese persimmon (kaki), fermented persimmon extract (kaki-shibu), conventional dried persimmon, and dried persimmon smoked in sulfur (ampo-kaki) by infrared spectroscopy to determine which would be optimal as a component analysis standard. The spectrum between 1,600 to 600cm-1 of a persimmon phytobezoar was quite similar to the spectrum of kaki-shibu rather than that of tannic acid. Consequently, we conclude that kaki-shibu should be used as a standard for infrared spectroscopy analyses of persimmon phytobezoars
Development of Safety Measures of Bicycle Trafflc by Observation wffh Deep-Leamlng, Drive Recorder Data, Probe Blcycle wlth LIDAR, and Connected Simulators
This research outlines the development of evaluating safety measures for bicycle traffic using state-of-the-art technology, which was started since 2020 as a four-year project. The project is funded by the Commission on Advanced Road Technology in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism(MLIT).
While Japan has a high bicycle modal share of 12% (2010), bicycle-related fatalities are relatively high among other countries in the IRTAD database (2019). Under these circumstances, since 2007, various measures for bicycle traffic measures have been implemented to improve the safe bicycle traffic environment, including the revision of the Road Traffic Act and the formulation of a national plan to promote bicycle use.
However, serious accidents involving bicycles are remained in some specific cases. According to the government's traffic accident analysis results (2019), right-hook crash at signalized intersections are one of the most serious types of collision involving bicycles, along with accidents at unsignalized intersections involving vehicles turning left, rear-end collisions, and single vehicle accidents due to off-road deviation. In particular, proactive safety measures are required at signalized intersections along arterial roads, where electric personal mobility vehicles traveling at speeds of up to 20 km/h are expected to share with bicycles in the future.
In order to evaluate safety measures for bicycle-vehicle crashes, this project set the following goals.
1) Identify factors influencing near-miss incidents and collisions through analysis of drive recorder data and accident statistical data.
2) Detailed analysis of traffic conditions from the cyclist's perspective using a probe bicycle equipped with a LiDAR sensor.
3) Development of an experimental environment using a connected simulator for evaluation of cooperative driving behavior.
4) Clarification of experimental conditions to evaluate different scenarios and conditions with and without intervention.
5) Proposal of effective interventions to improve crash cases based on experiments
Osteocyte Network; a Negative Regulatory System for Bone Mass Augmented by the Induction of Rankl in Osteoblasts and Sost in Osteocytes at Unloading
Reduced mechanical stress is a major cause of osteoporosis in the elderly, and the osteocyte network, which comprises a communication system through processes and canaliculi throughout bone, is thought to be a mechanosensor and mechanotransduction system; however, the functions of osteocytes are still controversial and remain to be clarified. Unexpectedly, we found that overexpression of BCL2 in osteoblasts eventually caused osteocyte apoptosis. Osteoblast and osteoclast differentiation were unaffected by BCL2 transgene in vitro. However, the cortical bone mass increased due to enhanced osteoblast function and suppressed osteoclastogenesis at 4 months of age, when the frequency of TUNEL-positive lacunae reached 75%. In the unloaded condition, the trabecular bone mass decreased in both wild-type and BCL2 transgenic mice at 6 weeks of age, while it decreased due to impaired osteoblast function and enhanced osteoclastogenesis in wild-type mice but not in BCL2 transgenic mice at 4 months of age. Rankl and Opg were highly expressed in osteocytes, but Rankl expression in osteoblasts but not in osteocytes was increased at unloading in wild-type mice but not in BCL2 transgenic mice at 4 months of age. Sost was locally induced at unloading in wild-type mice but not in BCL2 transgenic mice, and the dissemination of Sost was severely interrupted in BCL2 transgenic mice, showing the severely impaired osteocyte network. These findings indicate that the osteocyte network is required for the upregulation of Rankl in osteoblasts and Sost in osteocytes in the unloaded condition. These findings suggest that the osteocyte network negatively regulate bone mass by inhibiting osteoblast function and activating osteoclastogenesis, and these functions are augmented in the unloaded condition at least partly through the upregulation of Rankl expression in osteoblasts and that of Sost in osteocytes, although it cannot be excluded that low BCL2 transgene expression in osteoblasts contributed to the enhanced osteoblast function
Combined Spectral and Timing Analysis of the Black Hole Candidate MAXI J1659-152 Discovered by MAXI and Swift
We report on X-ray spectral and timing results of the new black hole
candidate (BHC) MAXI J1659-152 with the orbital period of 2.41 hours (shortest
among BHCs) in the 2010 outburst from 65 Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE)
observations and 8 simultaneous Swift and RXTE observations. According to the
definitions of the spectral states in Remillard & McClintock (2006), most of
the observations have been classified into the intermediate state. All the
X-ray broadband spectra can be modeled by a multi-color disk plus a power-law
with an exponential cutoff or a multi-color disk plus a Comptonization
component. During the initial phase of the outburst, a high energy cutoff was
visible at 30-40 keV. The innermost radius of the disk gradually decreased by a
factor of more than 3 from the onset of the outburst and reached a constant
value of 35 d_10 cos i^-1/2 km, where d_10 is the distance in units of 10 kpc
and is the inclination. The type-C quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO)
frequency varied from 1.6 Hz to 7.3 Hz in association with a change of the
innermost radius, while the innermost radius remained constant during the
type-B QPO detections at 1.6-4.1 Hz. Hence, we suggest that the origin of the
type-B QPOs is different from that of type-C QPOs, the latter of which would
originate from the disk truncation radius. Assuming the constant innermost
radius in the latter phase of the outburst as the innermost stable circular
orbit, the black hole mass in MAXI J1659-152 is estimated to be 3.6-8.0 M_solar
for a distance of 5.3-8.6 kpc and an inclination angle of 60-75 degrees.Comment: 27 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in PAS
Ultrastructural Analysis of an Enterolith Composed of Deoxycholic Acid
A 67-year-old Japanese man underwent enterotomy because of enterolith ileus. Component analysis by infrared spectroscopy revealed that the enterolith was composed of a high concentration of deoxycholic acid. We further analyzed and compared the ultrastructure of the enterolith and a commercially available powdered form of deoxycholic acid by means of scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis revealed that the ratios of carbon and oxygen in the enterolith were equal to those in the deoxycholic acid powder. Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed rectangular prism-shaped particles on the surface of the enterolith. This structure was similar to that of the deoxycholic acid powder. The surgically removed enterolith had a twisted and coiled appearance. Possible mechanisms underlying the formation of this unique form are discussed
- …